Previously, water was a relatively inexpensive resource. But in recent years as water resources have become scarcer and overused, the importance of recycling and reusing water present in various water systems has increased. These water systems may include warm (e.g., above about 100° F.) or hot (e.g., above about 150° F.) water systems such as collection tanks for warmers, pasteurizers, cooling tunnels, etc., used in packaging beverages and food products, hot tubs, swimming pools, etc. In some instances these hot water systems may reach temperatures as high as the boiling point of water (e.g., about 212° F. or 100° C.)
These warm or hot water systems may also become contaminated with oil components from various sources. For example, these oil components may be petroleum-based sources (e.g., hydrocarbons such as oil, grease, lubricants, etc.). may be from plant or animal sources, such as fats and oils comprising edible triglycerides, may be human skin oils, etc. In order to continually reuse, the water in these warm or hot aqueous environments, these contaminating oil components may need to be removed at least periodically.